Preliminary studies on mechanical harvesting of boysenberries

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Abstract
The yield obtained from boysenberries harvested by a beater-type mechanical harvester was 55% of the potential yield measured by hand harvesting. The major factors contributing to this difference were the lower mean berry weight of fruit harvested by machine, lateral breakage during passage of the machine, and fruit loss between or during passes of the machine. Saleable yield was similar, irrespective of whether the crop was first harvested when 10, 20, or 40% of the berries were visually ripe. Yield was substantially reduced when the crop was harvested once, rather than twice, a week. Mechanically harvested fruit was more mature (i.e., higher in anthocyanins, soluble solids, and carbohydrates, and lower in acids) than handpicked fruit. This explained the delayed rise in the cumulative yield from mechanically harvested plots. The time of picking of each fruit was affected by its position on the lateral. On average, the terminal fruit on the lateral was picked first and the fifth fruit last.

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